Luis Gil ready to debut with the Yankees after injury
Pitcher Luis Gil is scheduled to make his season debut with the New York Yankees on Sunday in Miami, after being out of action for four months due to a lat strain. The current American League Rookie of the Year impressed by striking out seven batters in 4⅓ innings on Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Gil threw 50 of 75 pitches for strikes, allowing one run and three hits in his fourth rehab start in the minor leagues. Injured during spring training, the right-hander is ready to return this weekend against the Marlins, after pitching 14⅔ innings in the minors.Gil began facing hitters on June 21, throwing 20 pitches in a batting practice at Yankee Stadium, and made his first rehabilitation start on July 13 for Double-A Somerset. Boone commented on Gil’s preparation: “For the most part, getting through this successfully, throwing strikes and maintaining his quality throughout the outing. You want to see those things, but we’re also mindful that, in many ways, this is like spring training for him, building his stamina.” Gil cut short a bullpen session on February 28 due to a strain in his throwing shoulder. An MRI revealed a high-grade strain of the latissimus dorsi on March 3. After the initial diagnosis, he was prevented from pitching for at least six weeks, and at that point it was announced that he would not return until June at the earliest. On April 16, it was communicated that Gil’s pitching program would be delayed by about 10 days. In the previous season, Gil, 27, had a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts for the American League champions, striking out 171 batters and issuing 77 walks in 151⅔ innings. Acquired in a trade in 2018, Gil had a successful return from Tommy John surgery and pitched eight additional innings in a pair of postseason starts, as the Yankees reached the World Series for the first time since 2009.I think that’s the plan at the moment.
Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager
